IMHO it is a sane default, but if you don't like it, you can set the browser.urlbar.autoFill key to false in about:config.

not sure what you mean by sane when the program crams text into a field that is not empty... Firefox can take some time starting up. To add in the autofill text when the field is not empty literally means someone was typing in a URL already. It is a simple code test to check a field for content and then skip the autofill.

I could turn it off and then I would have to type in the default that I usually want.

SteveT said

I am eight to ten characters into typing a url when FireFox "adds" the default startup webpage to the url field at the end of my text. If the field has anything in it, Firefox should realize that it shouldn't auto fill the field because it wasn't empty. This is just an annoyance and frankly would not be that hard to implement.

I get the same thing, but usually with the first start of each day. Firefox does "housekeeping" during the 1st launch of the day, it looks to a number of different servers for updates where as later "launches" Firefox skips checking for those updates.

For me the "fix" is to wait longer before starting to type a URL in the Location Bar; thus giving Firefox more time to completely load.

you have more time then I have then... a few seconds here and there is helpful. I am not impatient, I am focused.

Maybe press the Escape key to stop loading the page before you begin to type and prevent Firefox from adding an URL.

the escape key works if you hit it at the right time, but too soon and it has no effect.

Hi Steve!

I do agree that user input should be preserved at all times.

You might want to review https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/QA/Bug_writing_guidelines and file a bug as on a quick search at https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/buglist.cgi?quicksearch=url%20bar%20about%20home&list_id=14892597 I couldn't find this reported yet.

If the page is still in connecting state then the location bar is empty (about:blank). Only when you are connected and you see the link in the location bar (i.e. state is waiting or transferring) you can stop loading the page and type in the location/address bar without being interrupted.

What URL do you use for the homepage and new tab page? The builtin Firefox Home page doesn't require internet access and should load very quickly. If you use a web page that takes longer to load then you may have to wait before beginning to type.

In windows development, it is very easy once a field has content, to query it for empty or not. If the field is not empty, then do not overwrite content typed by user. The field is up, empty, and active when the firefox window is up. It really makes no difference what state the program is in. When the autofill gets ready to do its thing, then it just needs to check if there is already something in the field and then it skips autofill.

The whole point of this is not to have to play games or wait around for things to totally load when there is a simple code fix that can be done to resolve the issue,.